Spouse of corrupt babu equally guilty: Bombay High Court

PTIApr 9, 2008, 06.28pm IST

MUMBAI: As per a recent ruling of the Bombay High Court, the spouse of a government officer involved in a corruption case is equally guilty, considering the fact that both of them have benefited from the ill-gotten wealth.

This ruling was passed by Justice V R Kingaonkar of the Aurangabad Bench of the High Court in a case where he held Dhule resident Mangalabai Wagh guilty of abetment in a disproportionate assets case for allowing her husband Bhaskar Wagh to acquire several properties in her name.

The Judge observed that Mangala has shared immovable property as well as a vehicle to her name despite zero income of her own. "It will have to be said that she abetted the commission of offence of criminal misconduct by her husband (Wagh)," the ruling remarked.

The court upheld the trial court verdict sentencing Mangalabai to three years' imprisonment and a fine of Rs 2 lakh. The court also dismissed an appeal filed by Wagh challenging his seven years imprisonment and Rs 3 lakh fine.

Wagh, who worked as a cashier in the Minor Irrigation Department of a zilla parishad drew a monthly salaray of Rs 1,630. Wagh however, possessed movable and immovable properties, including a fleet of cars, worth Rs 20 lakh that were acquired between 1984 and 1989.

Wagh could not explain disproportionate assets to the tune of Rs 9 lakh before the trial court. Although Wagh had claimed that the assets were acquired from agricultural income, he could not provide proof for the same.

Justice Kingaonkar observed that since 1983 onwards, Wagh started purchasing immovable properties one after another and that it is highly improbable that it was within the lawful means of the Class III government servant to acquire them.